Lord, God, today we beg of you to send forth your Spirit of Love and Truth upon all who educate and instruct. Give them a sincere desire and yearning to know the Truth and a humble and open heart to accept it. We especially lift up to you our Catholic schools and universities. May these servants of yours always place chastity and purity at the forefront of their instruction. May they remain ever faithful to the teachings of Holy Mother Church. May they never tire or become afraid of being that salt and light in a world of darkness. Our sweet Jesus, awaken the minds and stir the hearts of those who are being deceived by the evil one into false teachings. O Divine Instructor, give to them all a thirst for righteousness and wisdom that comes only from You. Bless all teachers and educators, Lord, who do labor so unselfishly to spread the knowledge of Christ. Holy Spirit breathe the fire of Your love into the hearts, minds and souls of all educators that they may constantly meditate upon the Most Holy Trinity, the source of all wisdom, the source of purity and chastity. Amen.

]]>http://catholichotdish.com/spiritblog/novena-for-a-rebirth-of-chastity-and-purity-day-7/feed/08338http://catholichotdish.com/spiritblog/novena-for-a-rebirth-of-chastity-and-purity-day-7/Novena for a Rebirth of Chastity and Purity – Day 6http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CatholicHotdish/~3/XAdoxY27lmk/
http://catholichotdish.com/spiritblog/novena-for-a-rebirth-of-chastity-and-purity-day-6/#respondSun, 23 Jul 2017 05:00:23 +0000http://catholichotdish.com/?p=8328St. Bridget of Sweden

For all divorced couples, for those having marital difficulty and for broken families

Lord, God, we come before you today to beg for mercy on behalf of all those couples and families who are hurting and who are bearing heavy crosses at this very moment. We beg for the graces for all husbands and wives to be able to give of themselves so completely and so unselfishly, laying down their very own wills and lives for one another, just as you did for love of us. Give all families the supernatural graces they need to live out their vocations as husbands and wives, as mothers and fathers, and as sons and daughters, in complete imitation of the Most Holy Trinity. Heal, in a very special way, Lord, the hearts and souls of those husbands and wives who are bearing the cross of either past or present infidelity. Allow true contrition and forgiveness to enter into their hearts. Transform and sanctify all marriages and families. Call those who have left the fold home to You and to Your Church. Help them to see the importance of chastity and purity in their lives as one of the most important means for getting back on track. Holy Spirit breathe the fire of your love into the hearts, minds and souls of all those who have been wounded by divorce, marital infidelity or other marital difficulties, that they may soon feel the presence of God’s love burning within them and for them, so as to give and share this love with their spouses and families. Amen.

Lord, God, we ask you today to send forth in great abundance, through your Mother’s Most Immaculate and Pure Heart, the graces needed to convert and change the hearts of all those who work in the entertainment industry and in the arts. Grant them the gift to see the true beauty and dignity of the human person and thus create accordingly. Let them always place the virtue of chastity and purity at the forefront of their creations. Through the intercession of St. Mary Magdalene, may all writers, producers, artists, musicians and poets come to love you just as much as this holy woman did. Free from the bonds of slavery all those addicted to pornography and all those involved in prostitution. May Your Most Precious Blood this very day cover the multitude of sins committed against the flesh and wash clean the hearts of those who are deceived by the evil one. Holy Spirit breathe the fire of your love into the hearts, minds and souls of every single person involved with entertainment and art, that they may be directed by Your voice and Your love in the work that they produce, and as such, give You high honor and glory for all the world to see. Amen.

St. Sharbel Makhlouf (1828-1898) was born in a small, remote mountain village in northern Lebanon in 1828, and he was baptized in the Maronite Rite, the rite of the Catholic Church based in Lebanon. Young Sharbel had two uncles that were monks in the Maronite Rite and, inspired by them, he also became a monk. Later, in 1859 at the age of 31, he was ordained a priest.

For the next fifteen years, from his ordination in 1859 until 1874, Father Sharbel lived in a monastery with other monks. Then he moved to a hermitage near the monastery where he spent his last twenty-three years as a hermit.

Father Sharbel’s day revolved around daily Mass. He took great care in his preparation for Mass, particularly with his extended reflection and meditation on Sacred Scripture. He celebrated the Mass with deep reverence and respect. Then, after Mass, he offered prayers of thanks and praise for the graces and blessings received.

In addition to his deep devotion to the Eucharist, Father Sharbel had a great love for the Blessed Virgin Mary, and when he is depicted in religious art, he is often shown with an image of Mary near him with the Blessed Mother holding the Christ child in her arms.

In isolation as a hermit, Father Sharbel had to fend off waves of temptations, particularly the attraction of a more comfortable lifestyle with better food, clothes, and furnishings, as well as the constant inclination to put one’s personal desires and preferences first. With prayer and determination, he resisted worldly desires and adhered to a life of simplicity and material detachment. Because of his personal holiness, others were drawn to him, which enabled him to give powerful witness to the value of the Eucharist, prayer, Scripture, Marian devotion, poverty, humility, perseverance, service, and submission to God’s will. Visitors asked Father Sharbel to intercede on their behalf, and a number of remarkable miracles are attributed to him.

Father Sharbel died in 1898, and he was buried in a tomb at the monastery of St. Maron in Annaya, Lebanon. Because he is so deeply revered by Maronite Catholics, the monastery quickly became a pilgrimage destination.

Pope Paul VI both beatified and canonized Father Sharbel. His beatification was on December 5, 1965, during the Second Vatican Council, and his canonization was in 1977. The Maronite Community has named St. Sharbel the Hermit of Lebanon, and Christians everywhere pray through his intercession to make spiritual headway in singular devotion to God.

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]]>http://catholichotdish.com/the-pastors-page/st-sharbel-makhlouf-priest/feed/011038http://catholichotdish.com/the-pastors-page/st-sharbel-makhlouf-priest/Novena for a Rebirth of Chastity and Purity – Day 4http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CatholicHotdish/~3/p6nwpaaW4jg/
http://catholichotdish.com/spiritblog/novena-for-a-rebirth-of-chastity-and-purity-day-4/#commentsFri, 21 Jul 2017 05:00:52 +0000http://catholichotdish.com/?p=8324For all doctors, nurses, and all who work in the fields of medicine and pharmacology

Lord, God, we ask your very special blessings and graces to be showered forth upon those who serve you in their ministry to others in the fields of medicine and pharmacology. Help them always to maintain a high respect and dignity for all human life from the moment of conception until natural death. Grant to them a deep and abiding love and awe for the creative powers you have endowed to your creatures. May they use technology and medicine for your greater honor and glory and with the utmost respect to the moral law and natural order. Lead many doctors and nurses, sweet Jesus, to the Good News of Natural Family Planning. Give them all the great gift of humility and a fervent desire to know and to do Your Will. We thank you with overflowing hearts, Lord, for those doctors and nurses who have embraced your calling and who promote only Natural Family Planning to their patients. Give them fortitude to go against the tide and bless them, their practices and their families one-hundred fold. Give special strength, O Divine Physician, to those who hear your voice but are afraid to come. Keep knocking patiently and perseveringly upon their hearts and may they know and accept Your love for them. Holy Spirit breathe the fire of your love into the hearts, minds and souls of all in the medical and health fields that they may be sanctified to grow in love of chastity and purity and thus gain an earnestness to bring these holy virtues to the souls that they minister to. Amen.

]]>http://catholichotdish.com/spiritblog/novena-for-a-rebirth-of-chastity-and-purity-day-4/feed/18324http://catholichotdish.com/spiritblog/novena-for-a-rebirth-of-chastity-and-purity-day-4/Novena for a Rebirth of Chastity and Purity – Day 3http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CatholicHotdish/~3/_ozqdw2bkCw/
http://catholichotdish.com/spiritblog/novena-for-a-rebirth-of-chastity-and-purity-day-3/#respondThu, 20 Jul 2017 05:00:18 +0000http://catholichotdish.com/?p=8322For all the unmarried

Lord, God, we ask your very special graces and blessings to be showered this day upon all the unmarried. Help them to embrace and love deeply the sweet virtues of chastity and purity. Give to them the resolve they need to remain pure in a world that is hostile to such teachings. Take all of our precious youth, dear Mother, under your protective mantel where they may be kept unstained, unsullied, and unblemished. Lord, Jesus, call and beckon those who have strayed and sinned to come back to your loving arms, and to start clean again through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Guide, with your loving hands, Lord, all engaged couples that they may remain pure and chaste throughout their courtship. Give special aid, O Spotless Lamb, to those who have never heard about the virtues of chastity and purity. Soften their hearts and lead them to the well of chastity where they may drink of the pristine and uncontaminated waters. Help all of our children and the parents who love them, sweet Jesus, to guard attentively the minds and souls of their precious little ones so that they may be kept from impure images, art, music, books and movies, that may work to usurp their beloved innocence. And, sweet Jesus and dear Mother, we pray especially for those souls who bear the cross of homosexuality. Lead them to embrace chastity and may your most Precious Blood deliver them from the deceit and the lies of the evil one. Holy Spirit breathe the fire of your love into the hearts, minds and souls of all the unmarried that they may grow ardently in their love and understanding to acquire the virtues of chastity and purity. Amen.

]]>http://catholichotdish.com/spiritblog/novena-for-a-rebirth-of-chastity-and-purity-day-3/feed/08322http://catholichotdish.com/spiritblog/novena-for-a-rebirth-of-chastity-and-purity-day-3/Novena for a Rebirth of Chastity and Purity – Day 2http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CatholicHotdish/~3/00qTKoeC5KI/
http://catholichotdish.com/spiritblog/novena-for-a-rebirth-of-chastity-and-purity-day-2/#respondWed, 19 Jul 2017 05:00:57 +0000http://catholichotdish.com/?p=8320For all married couples

Lord, God, we ask your very special graces and blessings upon all married couples. Help them to grow in their understanding and in their love for the virtue of chastity and purity. Lord, help those couples who have never heard about natural family planning to be led to this information. Shower special graces upon your people, O Lord, that hardened hearts may be softened to hear your message of the Good News about the Gospel of Life and Love. Help all married couples develop the virtue of self-control and a total self-giving love. Help them to contemplate and meditate upon the Most Holy Trinity and to imitate the Godhead in their love for one another and for their family. We ask for your special aid and graces for those couples who are striving to live chaste lives but are finding it difficult amidst the temptations and the confusion wrought by this world. Help those couples who are practicing Natural Family Planning to persevere and to always maintain a generosity to life. Holy Spirit breathe the fire of your love into the hearts, minds and souls of all married couples that they may live their marriage vows with dignity and with respect to the moral order for the greater honor and glory of God. Amen.

]]>http://catholichotdish.com/spiritblog/novena-for-a-rebirth-of-chastity-and-purity-day-2/feed/08320http://catholichotdish.com/spiritblog/novena-for-a-rebirth-of-chastity-and-purity-day-2/Novena for a Rebirth of Chastity and Purity – Day 1http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CatholicHotdish/~3/ushyF5CYECQ/
http://catholichotdish.com/spiritblog/novena-for-a-rebirth-of-chastity-and-purity-day-1/#respondTue, 18 Jul 2017 05:00:58 +0000http://catholichotdish.com/?p=8316For all priests, bishops, cardinals, and our Holy Father

Lord, God, thank you for the gift of holy priesthood. We ask you to take each one of your most precious sons into the depths of your most Sacred Heart where they may be protected from the world’s contagion and from the deception of the evil one. Help them to cultivate a strong devotion and love for their most pure and holy Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Give strength and courage to your chosen ones that they may defend life always and promote marital and virginal chastity especially when it seems difficult to do so. Grant to them a greater understanding and love for the Most Holy Trinity so that they may see within the Godhead this mystery of total self-giving and self-sacrificing love that brings forth and sustains all life. Give them a great zeal and ardent desire to bring You pure and chaste souls. Strengthen them and grant them the grace to remain always faithful to the total vow of chastity that they have taken for the sake of the Kingdom. Holy Spirit breathe the fire of your love into their hearts, minds and souls that they may go forth and preach the Gospel of Life and Chastity to every soul whom they have been entrusted with. Amen.

Often when we hear the Parable of the Sower (Mt 13:1-9), the point of emphasis is the disciple as rich soil. The metaphor is that the sower is Jesus, the seed is the Word of God, and the soil is the person who receives the Word. The desired outcome is for the listener to be rich and fertile soil, cultivated, soft and receptive, eager to welcome the seed, to let it take root, permeate one’s life, grow and flourish, and produce astonishing results.

Another angle for reflection is the disciple – not as soil – but as the sower.

Jesus is the first sower, and we are supposed to imitate the Sower. As Jesus scattered seeds, as he preached the gospel to others, we as his disciples are also supposed to be sowers, to share the gospel with our children, students, and others.

There is a notion that Jesus, because he is the Son of God and all-powerful, was incredibly successful as a sower. But he was not, at least in every instance. Sometimes Jesus was able to achieve wonderful results, yields of a hundred or sixty, or thirtyfold (Mt 13:8), but there were many occasions when his results were downright disheartening.

Jesus had tremendous challenges as a sower. One group of potential listeners was totally resistant, hard and rocky, dismissed him, refused to listen, and completely ignored him. It must have been very depressing to Jesus. Another group at least paid attention to Jesus’ preaching. While they had a bit of initial fervor and enthusiasm, they were not very motivated, and when it came time to implement the Word that Jesus had spoken, they had so little determination and commitment that they fell by the wayside. Again, this must have been very discouraging. There was yet another group that listened carefully to Jesus. They liked Jesus, were intrigued by his gospel, and were ready to give it a try. But when those in the third group encountered obstacles, either their own inclinations to wrongdoing, or the evil forces of the outside world, or the antagonism of others, they gave up and quit. It must have been a very bitter pill for Jesus to swallow. It was only with the fourth group that Jesus had success. Jesus was successful twenty-five percent of the time which is a surprisingly low average.

What did Jesus do in the face of such disappointment? Did he get angry? Did he become bitter? Did he pout? Did he quit? No. Jesus refused to give up. He had amazing resiliency. He persevered. With an indomitable spirit, Jesus went on to other towns and to other people to proclaim the Good News (see Lk 4:43; 8:1).

Every Christian is a sower, parents and grandparents, teachers and catechists, neighbors and priests, and we scatter the seed of God’s holy Word to our children and grandchildren, students, friends, and parishioners. If Jesus had many disappointments, we should anticipate similar results. When we share our faith, there will be occasions when it seems no one is watching or listening, and other times when it seems like we are having a positive impact at the beginning, but with little lasting effect. Hopefully some of our “scattering” will have tremendous results. When we are unsuccessful, which may happen more often than not, like Jesus we must keep scattering and never lose heart because of discouraging results. We must be resilient and persevere. The seed is such a treasure that it must be sown.

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http://catholichotdish.com/the-pastors-page/yoke-easy-burden-light/#respondFri, 07 Jul 2017 19:44:31 +0000http://catholichotdish.com/?p=11026Get serious, Jesus! You say that your burden is light (Mt 11:30). Hardly! There are many times that I feel crushed by the burdens of life. I have so many responsibilities. There are so many jobs to do. The days are so long. I have to work so hard. The demands are so constant. There are so few breaks. You say the burden is light. I probably should not disagree with the Son of God, but I say that the burdens are huge, sometimes oppressive, and more than I can manage.

The yoke is a symbol for the burden. A yoke is a wooden frame or harness attached to the shoulders of a pair of oxen to pull a plow or cart. The yoke enables the oxen to pull much weight and do much work. For a Christian, the yoke can symbolize the gospel, which the believer chooses to harness to their shoulders, with all of its duties and obligations, or it can symbolize one’s God-given vocation in life, with its endless tasks and responsibilities.

The yoke is far from easy. It is a burden to live the gospel, such as to speak and insist on the truth in the midst of distortion and dishonesty, and then to bear the burden of the consequences. It is a burden to accept the vocation as a parent with the endless jobs that follow: getting up at night, feeding the baby, changing diapers, giving baths, doctor appointments, and everything else that goes with being a mother or father.

How is it, then, that the yoke could be easy? Jesus and Joseph worked in a carpenter’s shop in Nazareth (see Mt 13:55; Mk 6:3). Carpenters are woodworkers, and much of their craft is to make items for the home: tables and chairs, door and window frames, and doors. Nazareth is surrounded by farmland, and farmers went to the carpenter’s shop to get yokes for their oxen. Jesus would have made many yokes over his long career in the carpenter’s shop.

Oxen come in different sizes and shapes, particularly the bone and muscle structure of the shoulders. If the yoke does not fit properly, it hurts to pull and the oxen refuse to work. Therefore, each yoke has to be tailor-made, individually form-fitted. Jesus was an expert both at measuring the oxen and customizing yokes that fit just right. When the yoke fits properly, the oxen will pull and do an enormous amount of work.

When it comes to a person’s calling or vocation in life, a person’s “yoke,” each one is individually tailor-made by God. One is called to be a parent. Another is called to be a school teacher, a nurse, a technician, or a cook. Every calling is burdensome, but because the yoke is form-fitted to the individual by God, and when a person accepts their vocation, the person gains a sense of purpose and determination, which makes the burden lighter. God supplies the energy to carry the load, and renews the energy day by day, all which makes a heavy burden lighter.

The main factor affecting the weightiness of the burden is love. If a parent loves their infant child, the burden of getting up at night, feeding the baby, or changing the diaper instantly becomes light. Similarly, when teachers love their students, health care professionals love their patients, and workers love their customers, their workload becomes light, not because the job is easy, but because the burden is carried willingly and joyfully. When love of God and neighbor is the driving force, what would otherwise be a burden is light.